The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Toe the line, all for a good cause
by Than Acuff
Former Crested Butte Titan and now women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase World Champion Emma Coburn is hosting the inaugural Emma Coburn Elk Run 5k this Saturday, September 30 at 10 a.m. in downtown Crested Butte.
Coburn racked up numerous titles as a high school athlete right here in Crested Butte before heading off to run for the University of Colorado track and field team. As she honed her craft in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, Coburn’s career took off. She has six national titles to her name and is a professional New Balance athlete, an Olympic bronze medalist, and the current world champion.
Now, Coburn is coming back to the valley to say thank you and raise money for local non-profit Living Journeys.
The five-kilometer course starts in downtown Crested Butte at the intersection of Third Street and Elk Avenue and heads out Peanut Lake Road before turning around and coming back into town with the finish line right where the race started.
Coburn has invited several of her fellow Olympians, who are coming to town for this great cause. Coburn has also reached out statewide to invite some of the top runners from throughout Colorado so the local contingent has a chance to pace themselves against some of the best runners out there and a shot at some cold, hard cash.
Thanks to HCI Communications, $10,500 in prize money will be doled out to the top five men and top five women in the elite race class.
In addition, awards will be handed out to top finishers in each age class starting as young as 10-and-under, all the way up to a 70+ category.
While there is a race element, there is plenty of fun to be had by participants and you need not be competitive to join in. Once the race finishes, there will be a live band, games, food and drinks with festivities.
The day concludes with a thank you dinner at Elk Ave. Prime.
The cost to race is $40 and there is a reduced entry fee of $25 for all Gunnison Valley students. For more information and to register, check out elkrun5k.com.
